500 buck Auto TDI with rusted out rockers and fender....keep or get rid of?

[2002_auto_tdi]

I have a 500 buck Auto TDI with rusted out rockers and passenger fender. It sill passes safety inspection but don't know how long that will last. The underside is not rusty.

The rockers look worse than most pictures I have seen. It only has 182k miles and no I don't want to go to a manual. Interior is meh but I like it like that. In fact, I like it looking rough. I put a used compressor on and got the A/C working and the heat works as well.

I just changed the valve body and the transmission is really smooth now but don't know how long it will last.

It also needs a timing belt. Previous owner (who I know very well) suspects that the timing belt was never done at 100k. He had driven it since 133k.

I own a gen 2 Prius as well for the wife and although that is far more reliable in my perspective and easier to work on, I like my TDI and it's unapologetic diesel. I don't care about handling differences per say. The smell and the cruising range is crazy even compared to the Prius and even with it being an Auto. The price of diesel is lower than 87 octane gas here which makes it fun.

I am thinking of just running it to 200k seeing what happens, and having AAA ready for a tow if it breaks then scrapping it.

I would generally do the timing belt myself but the cost of the tools and the parts together are exceptionally high from my perspective although I can certainly afford it I look at it from a practical point of view.

I could also pay a guru to do it but I have bad luck when other people work on my car.....so bad that I do everything on my own....just that job concerns me as I have had the misfortune of an OEM tensioner on another vehicle grenading during the T-belt job putting the pistons into the valves. That is something I will never forget. Handing a stranger, even a recommended one cash to do a job creeps me out as well based upon past experiences.

From an economic point of view, I'd hate to buy the tools, VCDS, and the timing belt kit at a pretty penny and be able to return it all if I bork the job. Seems better to wait till the t-belt breaks...then I am only losing 300-400 bucks.

Thanks for any input.

 

[BobnOH]

I've found mechanical stuff can always be fixed and body rot is always expensive. One option is to use a local vocational school, they usually work for only parts cost, but they can take forever. I've seen after market bolt on rocker things, but repairing those is a lot of work. Front fenders can be easy with salvage parts, but the rear is not single unit replace.

 

[vandermic07]

I have been fixing rust on my 01 golf since 2013. if you post some pics it might help us give a better answer. It might be worth fixing. the only bad things are when it gets into the seam welds. That's where the structure is. I chose to fix mine because it was only rotted through on single panels.

I'm not a auto body guy by an means. I've help friends that are, so I've seen it done. I kinda know how to mix paint.

2013 (150k miles)
-Floor Pan (corners where rear seat passengers put their feet) - Fixed drivers side, plug fell out
--Cost = Used 20 gauge galv steel (furnace duct material I had) , LORD Fuser , Undercoat Spray (heavy inside and out) = $50 + 2 days

2020 (335k miles)
-Floor Pan (corners where rear seat passengers put their feet) - Passenger side
-Rockers - patches on the rockers only around the plugs. Everywhere else on the rockers are solid. Right behind the front fenders has surface rust.
-Rear inner fenders -They were pretty rotted at the bottom, but nothing some 20 gauge galv steel (furnace duct material) wont fix. Just cut out all the rust and use panel glue to glue a new piece in.
--Cost = Used 20 gauge galv steel (furnace duct material I had) , LORD Fuser , Undercoat Spray (heavy inside and out), WoolWax = $150 + 3 days

-Front Fenders - bought primed cheap ones online, color matched it myself with NAPA paint.
--Cost = Fenders and Color Match paint = $300

Future
-Wool Wax under car every year (wish i would have done this sooner)
-Hood is really bad
- Front of rockers

Its all really easy work but veryyyyy messy!!!! It doesn't look pretty underneath, but the fenders turned out good. A little orange peel but good enough for a now 345k car.

 

[2002_auto_tdi]

Here you go. Thanks for the ideas all.

I am not going to post pictures of the passenger fender or the passenger side as the pass side is a big nothing. Never really noticed that. The fender can be replaced.

Here is the worst of it. I threw rust reformer on it as a quick and dirty so it makes it harder to see. So does the dirt as I live off a really bad dirt gravel road. Impossible to keep clean so I don't bother much.

 

[vandermic07]

That's pretty rough. It would fail a PA inspection, but I would have it fixed as long as the main seam welds are ok. You might have $500 or so in it if you do it yourself. But you could get another 5+ years out of it with cheap rockers if you add bedliner and Woolwax to it.

I plan on at least doing a full set of rockers before I give up the Golf. Its cheaper for me to keep fixing my $500 car that I know versus a $3000 car that I don't know.

 

[2002_auto_tdi]

That's pretty rough. It would fail a PA inspection, but I would have it fixed as long as the main seam welds are ok. You might have $500 or so in it if you do it yourself. But you could get another 5+ years out of it with cheap rockers if you add bedliner and Woolwax to it.

I plan on at least doing a full set of rockers before I give up the Golf. Its cheaper for me to keep fixing my $500 car that I know versus a $3000 car that I don't know.

Thanks. What about slip on rockers or foam? I am really good at painting but not so good at body work.

I have a cheap flux welder too....but seems to me in a case like this I would want the easy way out.

 

[vandermic07]

Dont do foam! it keeps moisture against metal.

I would either buy slip on and glue them on with Lord Fusor or find a junk car with good rockers and cut out what you need and glue them on. I would stay away from welding. anywhere you lay a weld down will rust quicker. The Fusor is stronger than the metal and is used in OEM applications from what I am told. If you buy slip on rockers, put some extra coats of paint on both side, like POR15 to protect from rust. then a healthy coat of Woolwax inside and out.

 

[2002_auto_tdi]

Dont do foam! it keeps moisture against metal.

I would either buy slip on and glue them on with Lord Fusor or find a junk car with good rockers and cut out what you need and glue them on. I would stay away from welding. anywhere you lay a weld down will rust quicker. The Fusor is stronger than the metal and is used in OEM applications from what I am told. If you buy slip on rockers, put some extra coats of paint on both side, like POR15 to protect from rust. then a healthy coat of Woolwax inside and out.

Thanks for all of this.

 

[Andyinchville1]

I have a 500 buck Auto TDI with rusted out rockers and passenger fender. It sill passes safety inspection but don't know how long that will last. The underside is not rusty.

The rockers look worse than most pictures I have seen. It only has 182k miles and no I don't want to go to a manual. Interior is meh but I like it like that. In fact, I like it looking rough. I put a used compressor on and got the A/C working and the heat works as well.

I just changed the valve body and the transmission is really smooth now but don't know how long it will last.

It also needs a timing belt. Previous owner (who I know very well) suspects that the timing belt was never done at 100k. He had driven it since 133k.

I own a gen 2 Prius as well for the wife and although that is far more reliable in my perspective and easier to work on, I like my TDI and it's unapologetic diesel. I don't care about handling differences per say. The smell and the cruising range is crazy even compared to the Prius and even with it being an Auto. The price of diesel is lower than 87 octane gas here which makes it fun.

I am thinking of just running it to 200k seeing what happens, and having AAA ready for a tow if it breaks then scrapping it.

I would generally do the timing belt myself but the cost of the tools and the parts together are exceptionally high from my perspective although I can certainly afford it I look at it from a practical point of view.

I could also pay a guru to do it but I have bad luck when other people work on my car.....so bad that I do everything on my own....just that job concerns me as I have had the misfortune of an OEM tensioner on another vehicle grenading during the T-belt job putting the pistons into the valves. That is something I will never forget. Handing a stranger, even a recommended one cash to do a job creeps me out as well based upon past experiences.

From an economic point of view, I'd hate to buy the tools, VCDS, and the timing belt kit at a pretty penny and be able to return it all if I bork the job. Seems better to wait till the t-belt breaks...then I am only losing 300-400 bucks.

Thanks for any input.

HI from a fellow Virginian

Where in VA are you that diesel is cheaper than gas?

POR 15 seems pretty good at fixing rust issues ... I used some of it on rusted areas where the paint chipped and no new rust since ... despite the instructions saying to topcoat it for UV protection, I had a couple runs that got on the exterior paint and it seems good still after 2 years !

If you plan on ditching your car PM me, I may be interested in it (primarily for the engine to transplant into another vehicle).

Andrew

 

[2002_auto_tdi]

Hey, it is cheaper than 87 Octane in the Thornburg, Virginia area by a good margin. $1.93 a gallon. I guess that has something to do with being right off of 95. Usually right off of 95 is a bad thing but I guess not for the trucking industry. Grab the gas buddy app if you haven't already. You might be surprised at the prices or maybe not depending on your area.

I don't think that it would be too big of an issue to fix the rust but it's a catch 22. I don't want to put the money into a t-belt and I want to keep an eye on the 01m after the valve body change.

I know it hurts enthusiasts but in some cases outside of the glorious enthusiast communities it makes more economic sense to have AAA and wait for that timing belt to break or the 01m to die.

If I decide to sell while it runs I will sling you a pm.

Thanks.

 

[hskrdu]

From an economic point of view, I'd hate to buy the tools, VCDS, and the timing belt kit at a pretty penny and be able to return it all if I bork the job. Seems better to wait till the t-belt breaks...then I am only losing 300-400 bucks.

Save the ALH!

I would look at it the opposite way: An ALH in good running shape with recent TB service gives value to the car, rather than a loss of maint costs. If the body gives out, someone will want a lower mileage engine.

If the car will continue to pass inspection, or you are willing to slowly work on the rusty sections, then take care of the engine and run it until the rust is beyond repair. The TB kit is not that expensive, the tools can be rented, and there are many trusty gurus who will do it for a reasonable price- and yes, many of us use those gurus because we feel exactly the same way about mechanics. Replacing the fender is less than 2 hours and easy.

Running it without any maint until the TB breaks and the engine grenades is, IMO, not the way to go.